be laughing up (one's) sleeve
be laughing up (one's) sleeve
To be trying to hide that one is laughing at someone else. It seems like the popular kids are laughing up their sleeves every time I walk by. It's so infuriating.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
be laughing up your sleeve
OLD-FASHIONEDIf someone is laughing up their sleeve, they are secretly amused by something, often something silly that someone else has done. They must be laughing up their sleeves at our stupidity. Note: The image here is of someone trying to hide the fact that they are laughing by putting their hand or arm in front of their mouth.
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012